


A Gift for Eric

by AmbrosiaRush



Category: NCIS: Los Angeles
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-29
Updated: 2013-06-29
Packaged: 2017-12-16 13:54:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/862770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmbrosiaRush/pseuds/AmbrosiaRush
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nell wants to get Eric a surfboard for his birthday, only she has no idea how to go about choosing one so she enlists the help of the only other surfer she knows.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Gift for Eric

Nell Jones quickened her steps to catch up with the shaggy haired detective. She fell into step beside him. "Marty?"

"Hm, yeah," Deeks had one thing on his mind as he was walking thru the underground parking lot to his car, and that was coffee; preferably in a very large mug, soy milk two sugars.

"I was wondering if you could help me with something." Despite the fact that he was exhausted Nell had to take two strides to keep up with his long gait.

"Sure," Deeks replied sleepily as he rubbed his eyes. The team had been on a case for nearly seventy three hours and he needed coffee or a bed like sixteen hours ago. He yawned and then looked over at Nell curiously. They got along well, they'd worked together for a while now but unless it was a group thing they didn't hangout away from the office. 

"Eric's birthday is coming up," Nell informed him moving with quick steps to keep up. He wondered how she still had so much energy, then again he'd seen the recycling bin outside of the ops centre and it was overflowing with energy drink cans and bottles. "And I noticed that his surfboard is a little beaten up so I thought as a gift I'd get him a new one. The thing is, I know nothing about surfboards but then I thought since you surf maybe you could give me some pointers?"

He stopped in his step and she nearly kept walking. She pivoted on her back foot and looked back and up at him. Her eyes were uncertain and her bottom lip got trapped between her teeth. "Sure," Deeks replied with a reasuring smile. "Meet me tomorrow at ten at the Surf Shack in Malibu we'll find him something nice."

She smiled widely at him. "Thank Marty!"

::

Deeks figured since he was going to be in Malibu anyways (and maybe he had picked that particular surf shop so he could have an excuse to surf there- strictly subconsciously though) he'd catch a few waves. The water was on the cold side, but it was refreshing. The mental cobwebs shook off as he rode a wave inland before allowing the water to take him under. Breaking the surface of the water he pulled his board close and rested his forearms on it while his eyes searched the sandy beach.  He spotted the short brunette standing in the sand with two coffee's in hand he knew his time was up.

He swam to shore, unhooked the strap that linked him to his board and picked it up. He walked the short distance and Nell met him halfway. He shoved his board down in the sand while he pulled the string on the zipper down and stripped off the upper half of his wetsuit causing a faint blush on Nell's face and she looked away and blindly handed him his coffee.

He found her innocence- even after all she had seen on the job- rather endearing. He accepted the coffee and it instantly warmed up his cold hands.  "Thanks."

"I figured since you came all the way out here to help me that I owed you at least a coffee."

He took a sip of the coffee and let out a content sigh before handing it back to her. "Can you hold this a second."

"Yes," she replied taking it back.

He discarded the rest of his wet suit, his swim trunks underneath still wet but he grabbed a towel and gave a quick dry off and rub to his hair. He pulled on a shirt and slipped into his flip flops. He grabbed his gear in one hand and took the drink with the other.

"So," she said now that he was dressed appropriately. "What do I need to know?"

"Be patient, young grasshopper," he teased affectionatly as they walked his belongings back to his Jeep. "I'll show you." 

They sipped their coffee's in a comfortable silence until they got to the Surf Shack. Deeks held the door open for Nell and lead her to a fine looking blue board.  "Okay quick anatomy of a board lesson. This is the nose," he pointed to the top. "These are the rails," his free hand rand down and to the sides. "The deck," he pointed lower and centre. "Leash," he said grabbing the cord with the velcro anklet.  He went back to the deck, his hand running over it. "This is where you stand." He grabbed her her hand lightly and put it on the board.

"It feels a little rough," she noted.

"Traction pad's already been applied," Deeks explained. He loved the Surf Shack, always great quality and staff that knew what they were talking about. "You can pretty much pick anything out of this place and it'll be a guaranteed hit with Eric."

Nell looked around. Boards of different sizes, shapes and colours lined the wall. She walked over to one that had caught her eye. "What about this one," she pointed a board with a bright and fun motif.

"That's actually a long board," Deeks took another sip of his coffee enjoying the warmth it brought him. "It's more for beginners."

"So if I decided I wanted to learn?"

"That's the kind of board I'd recommend," Deeks gave a nod and they continued to walk around the shop.

"Oooh," Nell stopped as she admired a particularly handsome board. "How about something like this?" She pointed to a dark green one with vibrant yellow swirls.

"That's a nice one," he commented with a nod. He ran his hands over the rails and checked it for dings that might have happened in storage or delivery but it seemed clear. "Looks good. Is this the one?"

Nell gave it another inspection with her critical eyes before nodding. "Yes."

Deeks passed his coffee off to Nell so he could take the baord down from the racks. He carefully walked it up to the front, Nell at his six. He placed it carefully on the long front counter and handed the check-out clerk his discount card.

"Hey Marty," the clerk greeted with a friendly grin. "Long time no see."

"Been busy," Deeks responded in a friendly tone as he accepted his coffee back from Nell.

The clerk's eyes flicked over to Nell and his grin grew wider. "And who might you be?" The dark haired man asked Nell but he threw a curious look in Deeks's direction.

"I'm Nell," she introduced herself. "I'm a co-worker of Marty's."

Deeks had to do his very best to keep from laughing. She had no idea that he had met Markus while an LAPD undercover stint at a XXX DVD shop. The look on Markus's face was absolutely priceless, he then looked back and forth between Nell and Deeks. "So, are you two an item?"

"Oh no," Nell flushed with mild-embarassment as she looked over wide eyed to Deeks. His head was bent forward slightly and it looked like he was trying to keep from laughing. Her lips pressed tightly together a little flicker of anger lighting within her. She felt a little lost, like she was missing a piece to the puzzle. 

Markus looked her over. "Are you seeing anyone?"

Deeks stepped in putting a protective arm over her shoulders. "Are you going to ring that board through or what?"

Markus was a good guy, he knew his surfboards but Deeks didn't exactly want Nell going out with a man who felt the need to rent porn- especially when you can get it for free on the internet.

Since Deeks had interjected to the man's advances, Nell figured the clerk was an ex-con or a fugitive of some sort. She stood a little straighter and stuck close to the detective as her imagination got caught up in what the missing piece could be. 

The clerk did ring them up, put through Deeks's discount card and Nell paid. Deeks grabbed the board, Nell the receipt and he two of them walked out. 

Nell waited until the door shut behind them. "What was that all about?" she asked in a low voice.

"What all about?" Deeks feigned innocence and tossed his empty paper cup in the trash.

"You two just kind of got this weird look when I said I was your co-worker, he thinks you're a cop right?" She asked as she walked toward his vehicle. "Do I not look like I could be a cop."

"You're a little short," he replied with a little smirk. 

Her eyes narrowed at him and she puffed up.

Her determination to become an intimidating presence only made his smirk grow into a smile.  "He met me while I was doing an undercover stint at a less than awesome job," he explained vaguely, he shifted from one foot to the other before turning away from her. He put the board up on the rack of his Jeep since they'd already determined her little red Mini Cooper wasn't the best idea.

His ambiguious answer made her even more curious.  "What job?" she asked with a mischievous grin upon her face.

"It was a, uh, a movie rental place. I just, you know, put movies on people's accounts," Deeks said making sure that the board wasn't going to be sliding off in the drive.

"Oh," Nell replied her eyebrows drawing down. That wasn't juicy or embarassing at all. She thought about why Deeks would be tiptoeing around the entire thing. And then it hit her. "OH!" she laughed. "That kind of movie rental place!"

He looked over his shoulder at her as she succumbed to giggles. "And you told him you were my co-worker."

The heat of embarassment warmed her cheeks. "Oh, I did, didn't I?" She burst out laughing again. "I can never come back to Malibu again!"

::

"Keep them closed!" Nell ordered leading her blinded partner through the parking garage.

"I am," Eric responded and stopped when she did. "Can I look now?"

She adjusted him just a bit so he was standing right in front of the board leaning against the wall.

She pulled on the scarf tied around his eyes that she'd used to ensure he couldn't peek. "Okay, you can open your eyes." She watched his face light up with joy as he walked over to inspect his new board. She bit on her bottom lip nervously. "So, what do you think?"

Instead of an answer, Eric turned around and she got swept up in a tight hug from her partner. " Best birthday ever!"

Since the guy at the Surf Shack thought she rented out porn movies she decided to take all the credit for herself.


End file.
